white (redirected from whited sepulchers)

*in black and white

Fig. [of an agreement, contract, or statement] official, in writing or printing. (*Typically: be ~; get something ~.) I have it in black and white that I'm entitled to three weeks of vacation each year.

See also: and, black

*white as a sheet and *white as a ghost; *white as snow; *white as the driven snow

[of someone] extremely pale, as if frightened. (*Also: as ~.) Marilyn turned as white as a sheet when the policeman told her that her son had been in a car wreck. Did something scare you? You're white as a sheet! Jane made up the bed with her best linen sheets, which are always as white as snow. We have a new kitten whose fur is white as the driven snow.

See also: sheet

bleed someone white and bleed someone dry

to take all of someone's money; to extort money from someone. The creeps tried to bleed me white. Richard got a picture of Fred and Joan together and tried to bleed both of them dry by threatening to show it to their spouses.

See also: bleed

little white lie

Fig. a small, usually harmless lie; a fib. Every little white lie you tell is still a lie and it is still meant to mislead people.

See also: lie, little

put something down in black and white and set something down in black and white

Fig. to write down the terms of an agreement; to draw up a written contract; to put the details of something down on paper. (Alludes to black ink and white paper.) We agree on all the major points. Now, let's set it down in black and white. I think I understand what you are talking about, but we need to put down the details in black and white.

See also: and, black, put

white elephant

something that is large and unwieldy and is either a nuisance or expensive to keep up. Bob's father-in-law has given him an old Rolls Royce, but it's a real white elephant. He has no place to park it and can't afford the gas for it. Those antique vases Aunt Mary gave me are white elephants. They're ugly and I have no place to put them.

See also: elephant

white knuckle something

to survive something threatening through strained endurance, that is to say, holding on tight. The flight from New York was terrible. We had to white knuckle the entire flight.

See also: knuckle

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a white elephant

something that has cost a lot of money but has no useful purpose The town's new leisure centre, recently completed at a cost of ten million pounds, seems likely to prove a white elephant.

See also: elephant

a white knight

someone who gives money to a company in order to prevent it from being bought by another company Hope is fading that a white knight will appear to stop the takeover bid.

See also: knight

a white lie

a lie that you tell in order not to upset someone I don't see the harm in telling the occasional white lie if it spares someone's feelings.

See also: lie

be as white as a sheet

to be very pale, usually because you are frightened or ill She was trembling all over and as white as a sheet.

See also: sheet

be as white as snow

to be very white His hair and beard were as white as snow.

See also: snow

black and white

if you think facts or situations are black and white, you have a simple and very certain opinion about them, often when other people think they are really more complicated The issue of nuclear weapons isn't as black and white as it used to be.

See also: and, black

in black and white

written down I wouldn't have believed him capable of fraud, but there it was, in black and white.

See also: and, black

lily-white 

1. (British, American & Australian) completely white in colour He marvelled at her lily-white hands.

2. (American & Australian) completely honest (often negative) He's not exactly lily-white himself, so he has some nerve calling her a cheat!

3. (American & Australian) having only white people near, often because of a wish to keep black people away The black family found it difficult to feel comfortable in this lily-white, prosperous suburb.

pretend/say that black is white

to say the opposite of what is really true She'll say that black is white if she thinks it's to her advantage.

See also: black, pretend

the men in white coats  (humorous)

doctors who look after people who are mentally ill The men in white coats will be coming to take me away if I stay in this job much longer.

See also: coat, men

white trash  (American very informal)

an offensive way of describing poor white people who are not educated These are the poor white trash that the middle class don't want to know about.

See also: trash

white-bread  (American)

white-bread people or things are ordinary and boring, and often those that are typical of white, American people (always before noun) It's a movie about middle America - white-bread characters living white-bread lives.

white-collar

a white-collar worker is someone who works in an office, doing mental rather than physical work (always before noun) The ratio of white-collar workers to production workers in the American manufacturing industry was declining. The earnings of women in white-collar jobs are the second highest in Britain. The 1980's saw an explosion in white-collar crime. (= crimes committed by white-collar workers, especially stealing from the organization they work for)

whiter than white

someone who is whiter than white is completely good and honest and never does anything bad I never was convinced by the whiter than white image of her portrayed in the press.

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black and white

a very clear choice that causes no confusion When you're flying a plane, it's black and white - you can't be wrong, you've got to be right.

Etymology: based on the clear difference between the colors

See also: and, black

in black and white

1. in written or printed form Your offer sounds good, but I want you to put it in black and white.

2. as involving clear choices She tends to view the political world in black and white, with good guys and bad guys.

Etymology: based on the idea of black printing or writing on white paper

See also: and, black